Oil well pumping assembly



Aug. 15, 195o P. E. LEHR 2,519,142

on. WELL PUuPING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 9, 194s :s sheets-sheet 1 Aug. l5; 1950 P. E. LEHR 2,519,142

on. WELL PuuPmG AssEuBLY Filed Aug. 9, 1948 s sheets-sheif 2 Aug. 15, 1950 P. E. LEHR on. wm. PuuPmG- Assmmr 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 9, 1948 Fq Invznl'or: EE. Lehr Figa Patented Aug. ',15, 1950 This inventionrelates to the art of producing hydrocarbon materials from underground formations, and pertains more particularly to an improved `oil Well pump adapted to be actuated by the reciprocation of a tubing string, said pump,

being also adapted to be readily positioned in` or removed from the swellwithin the tubing string.

Conventional oil well pumps are usually installed at the lower end .of a tubing or ilow string within the well `casing and lare operated by reciprocating a string of sucker rodswithin the tubing. 'I'he pump plunger is reciprocated through the sucker rod string by suitable `prime mover means at the surface. `The sucker rod string is furthermore usedin `a, well known fashion, to install and withdraw the plunger and traveling valves of the pump. However, in order to remove. the entire pump it is necessaryto withdraw from the well the entire tubing string to which the pump jacket is attached.` `Another type of pump, known as yan insert pump, can be changed by means of pullingl the sucker 'rod l string. i.

A modification of this system-is `to be found in the so-called casing pump, wherein `the pump is anchored directly in the well casing at the desired depth with sucker rods reciprocating directly within the casing, the tubing string being eliminated. The casing pump Adepends for its' operativeness on the feature of packing off the casing above the pump, whereby the casing itself `serves as a tubing string. This type of pump,

being secured to the lower end of the sucker rod l string, necessitates the removal of the entire sucker' rod string whenever the pump is to be raised for'inspection or changing.

It is, therefore, a primary/.object of this invention to provide an improved and simplied pump installation for a well wherein the sucker rod string is` eliminated and the pump is installed in the well and reciprocated during operation by the tubing string; said pump being adapted to be readily positioned in or removed from the well by means of a wire line or cable.

It is also an object of the present vinvention,

valve of the pump during operation and is utilized in detaching the pump from its anchored position in the well for easy withdrawal therefrom. These and other objects of this invention will be understood from the following descriptionl y taken with reference to the attached drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical view, partly in cross section, showing the pump of the present invention anchored in a well.

Figure 2 is a vertical view, partly in cross section, showing the pump being detached from' its. i

anchored position within the well. V

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views, partly in cross section, illustrating the method oi removing a pump from a well according tothe present invention.

Figure 6 is a detail view, partly in cross section, of another embodiment of a means for anchoring a well pump within a tubing string.

Figure 7 is a vertical view, partly in cross section, of another embodiment of a means for positioning a pump anchoring assembly with a well casing.

Figure 8 is a vertical view, partly in cross section, of a detailed viewof one embodiment of latching means amazed to the traveling barrel of a pump.

Referring to Figure l of the drawing, the pump of the presentinvention is shown as being positioned in a well having a casing @i and a casing head I2, provided with suitable conduit connections 13 for the removal of uids entering the casing in the well. The pump, of a size adapted to be passed through the tubing string, is removably positioned at the lower end of a tubing string It which passes into the casing ii through a suitable lubricator or packing gland device it. The tubing string It serves as means for imparting a reciprocating motion to the pump, as will be described hereinbelow, and is for this pur- 'pose connected at I6 to a cable Il' or similar means leading to prime mover means, not shown. The tubing string I4 also serves as a ilow oreduction tube for the oil being pumped, and is connected, through a swivel head I8 to an output conduit I t.

Threadedly secured to the bottom of the tubing string i4, by means oi' a collar or coupling 20 and a reducer or swaged section of tubing 2i is a shoe assembly which consists o! an upper half shoe 22 and a lower half shoe 23 threadedly connected and iixedly securing therebetween a' lock seat 24. Afiixed to the lower half` shoe 23 in any suitable manner, or integrally formed therewith, is a radially extending guide flange 25 having passage means 26 to permit uid iiow therey through, The lower portion of the lower half shoe 23 is beveled or tapered to form a `wedge- Shaped. latch or lock spreader 21 having, if de- Vplurality of flexible segments 90.

sired, iluid ports 28 radially extending therethrough; I` another embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the lock seat 24 may be secured in any suitable manner. as by screw threads, within the lower end of the tubing string I4. In a like man- .ner the lock spreader 21 may also be aillxed to the lower end of the tubing stringl4. l

Fixedly anchored at a pre-determined level within the casing I I, by means of any suitable anchoring means'such as a tubing catcher 29, is a pump latching means which comprises flexible lock or anchor prongs 30 aihxe'd to a tubular body 3l by any suitable means -as by a bushing or holding ring 32. If desired, the holding ring may be a tubular element of a predetermined height, as shown in Figure 1, which thus serves asspacer means for limiting the downward motion of the lock spreader 21. The tubular body 3l is threadedly connected in turn by means of a reducer coupling 33 to afsection of tubingr 34 carrying the tubing catcher 29;., If desired, a tubular guide member 5I of predetermined height may be afllxed to the upper end of the body 3l surrounding the latch prongs 30- and serving as guide and-the shoe assembly carried thereon. If a gas anchor 35 having uid inlets 53 therein is to be used, it may `lie conveniently attached in any suitable manner to the lower side of the tubing catcher 29, as shown in Figure 3. The tubing catcher`-29 is normally equipped with conduit or channel means 36 between the slips 52 of the catcher 29 which permit formation gases or uids to move past the tubing catcher and rise to the surface in the annular' space 31 between the well casing II and the tubing string I4.

Adapted to be seated on the lock seat 24 oi' the shoe assembly at the bottom of the tubing string kI4 is a well pump of the traveling-barrel type comprising a traveling barrel 38 carrying a balltype traveling valve 39 and a tubular standing piston or plunger 40 having positioned therein a standing valve 4I. Alixed to the lower end of the traveling barrel 38 is a suitable latching means such as a bottom lock hold-down assembly comprising a hold-down body 42 and a seat 43 ailixed to or integrally formed'with an adapter 44 as shown in Figure 8. A hold-down body 42 generally comprises a short tubular member 51 having a flange 58 formed on the outside surface and at one end thereof. A plurality of longitudinal slots 59 are cut or formed in the wall of the tubular member, extending from the flanged end for a substantial length of the member 51, to divide one end of the tubular member 51 into a i The flexible segments 60 are spacedirom the adapter 44, as shown in Figure 8, thus permitting them to ex inwardly when the flange 58 is forced past the lock seat 24. On being forced downward the flange 59 springs outward after passing lock seat 24 tov secure the pump in the lower end of the tubing string I4. Hence, the hold-down body 42 is adapted to removably position the pump in the lower end of the tubing string I4 so that the seat 4 4 to be unseated. Fluid ports 48 may be formed in the walls of the mandrel, when a gas anchor is not attached to the pump, to enable fluid from the well to flow into the p'ump with a minimunY of friction. One or more peripheral notches or grooves 41 are cut or formed on the outer wall of the lower end of the mandrel, said grooves being of suitable size and shape to engage and hold anchor prongs 38.

In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 8. one or more peripheral notches or grooves 6I may be cut in the lower end' of the tubular standing piston 4I! thus eliminating the need of an anchoring mandrel (Figure 1). In order to unseat the traveling barrel 38 of the pump from the lower end of the tubing string I4, a collar 82, pin, or-other means is amxed, as by means of a holding screw 83, to the standing piston 40 near the lower end thereof, said collar being of a size to pass within the lock spreader 21 and contact and disengage the hold-down body 42. Instead -of employing a collar 62 to unseat the traveling barrel 38, anysuitable means may be amxed to or formed on the standing piston 40 forming an enlargement thereon at a point below the normal A stroke of the pump during pumping operations.

Pin means 48, of any suitable type, is afllxed to the top of the traveling barrel 38 of the pump for removing the pump from the well. In retrieving a pump from a well, a retrieving socket 49 (Figure 5) is lowered into the well on the end of a wire line or cable 50, said socket being adapted to engage and lock onto the pin means 48, whereby the pump may be raised by the wire line. Socket means for positioning or withdrawing tools in well drilling or well maintenance operations are well known to the art and therefore will not be described in greater detail.

In installing the present pump in a well the l. various elements may be assembled as shown in lower end of the latching mandrel 45, which is 43 is in fluid-tight contact with the seat 24 of the shoe assembly thus preventing the leakage of fluid from the tubing back down into the well.

A latching mandrel 45 is xedly secured to` the lower end of the standing barrel or plunger 40 in any suitable manner, as in screw-threaded engagement. The mandrel 45 is of slightly smaller diameter than the lock spreader 21 so as to be able to fit coaxially therein, yet is large enough to contact the hold-down body 42 when the pump is attached to the lower end of the standing barrel 40, engage the latching prongs 39 of the pump latching assembly which in turn is threadedly connected Yto the tubing catcher 29. While running this assembly into the well, the tubing catcher 29 is held' in retracted position so as not to engage the well casing II. When a sumcient number of lengths or sections of tubing I4 have been connected together to lower the pump to its predetermined position in the well, the tubing string is suitably manipulated to set the slips 52 of the tubing catcher 29 against the casing Il in a manner well known to the art. It is obvious that, insteadof lowering the pump latching means 38, 3|, 32 and 5I and the tubing catcher 29 by means of the tubing string I4 and pump secured therein, the latching means and tubing catcher may be previously positioned in the well casing by a pipe string or any other suit- Au' and passes up into the standing kbarre-1 u of the pump which remains stationary being anchored in place by the engagement of theanchor prongs 8l and the grooves 41 of the latching mandrel". The traveling barrel 38 of the pump, being secured to the lower end of the tubing string I4 by the hold-down body 42, moves in an up and down motion as the tubing string is reciprocated. Thus on theupstroke of the tubing string and traveling barrel 38, the traveling`V Y ure 6. a cup-type hold-down may comprise one valve 38 is closed and the standing valve 4I is opened allowing fluid to illl the traveling barrel 38 of the pump as the standing barrel orl plunger' 4l is withdrawn therefrom. In the downstroke of the tubing string I4 and the traveling barrel 38, the standing valve 4I is closed and the traveling valve'll is opened as the fluid is forced out of the pump by the entering standing barrel 40 which I operates as a plunger or piston.

When it is desired to remove the pump from the well, the tubing string I4 and pump elements attached thereto are lowered a distance below the extreme pointvof its normal downward stroke during pumping operations thus permitting the hold-down body'42 to contact the top of the iixed latching mandrel 45. Further lowering of the" tubing string .will unseat the pump from the seat of the shoe assembly as the mandrel 45 (Figure 1) or collar 32 (Figure 8l causes the hold-down body to disengage the shoe assembly thus forcing the pump up'into the tubing string I4. With the traveling barrel 38 of the pump unseated, the fluid thati'llls the tubing string I4 is permitted to ilow between the traveling barrel and tubing into the well. It is desirable that the head of fluid be bled out of the'tubing string to facilitate the removal of the pump.

Continued lowering of the tubing string causes the lock spreader 21 to force the latching prongs 30 outward so as to disengage the grooves 41 of. the latching mandrel 45 on the bottom of the `standing barrel 40, as shown in Figure 2. The

pump may then be removed from the well by lowering a socket 48 on the end of a wire line Y 58 which is adapted to engage the pin means 48 at the top of the pump.

"It is evident that a reversal of the abovedescribed operations may be followed when anchoring and seating a pump in well casing and tubing, respectively. The tubing string I4 may The pump is then lowered within the tubing string by means of a wire line having a socket attached thereto. Such a socket may conveniently be of a type adapted to disengage the pin means 48 by jarring, as known in the art. After the pump has been lowered, the tubing string I4 is raised slightly allowing the latch prongs 30 to engage the grooves of the iatching mandrel 45, thus ilxedly positioning the standing barrel 40 of the pump. The tubing string is then raised until the hold-down'body 42 on the bottom of the traveling barrel 38 locks in the shoe assembly and the seats 24 and 43 are in face to face contact. 'I'he pump is now in position to ber operated.

While the pump of the present invention has been. described as incorporating preferred mechanical bottom lockhold-down assembly 42, 43

- and 44 Ai'orholding the bottom of the traveling or more packer elements 54 carried on the outer surface of the adapter 44 or any other portion of the traveling barrel 33; The packer elements 54 may be made of synthetic rubber, rubberized canvas, or any composition material that is not damaged by the iluid being pumped. The packer elements 54 are of such a size as to anchor the traveling barrel 38 of the pump 'tofthe swaged section of tubingv 2| at the bottom of the tubing 'ing the pump in a securely seatedposition.

While the anchoring means may normally comprise a removable tubing catcher 29 as shown in Figure 1, the latching means may also be ilxedly positioned in a well in any other suitable manner. For example, such means rnay comprisea spider 56 disposed at the top of a well screen 55 at the bottom of the casing II when the well is completed in thismanner as shown in Figure 7. The standing barrel or plunger may be latched to the latching means in the manner previously described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A well pump adapted to be actuated by the reciprocation of a. string of tubing comprising, in combination with anchoring means xedly installed in the well below the lower end of said tubing, a traveling pump barrel releasably stationary tubular plunger for said barrel releasably latched to said anchoring means, a standing valve carried by said plunger, and a traveling valve carried by said barrel, whereby well fluid is admitted to said barrel through said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocating motion of said barrel with regard to said plunger. y

2. A well pump adapted to be actuated by the reoiprocation of a. string of tubing comprising in combination with anchoring means xedly installed in .the well belowj the lower end of said tubing, a pump barrel inserted within the lower end of said tubing, iirst yieldable latch means normally locking said barrel with said tubing, a tubular plunger having an upper portion fitting for travel within said barrel and a lower portion having an element of enlarged diameter itting within said tubing, second yieldable latch means normally locking said plunger with said anchoring means, a standing valve carried by said plunger and a traveling valve carried by said barrel, whereby well iluid is admitted to said barrel through said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocation of said barrel with regard to said plunger, said first latch means being releasable by the pressure thereagainst of said enlarged element of the stationary plunger occurring upon a lowering of the tubing beyond the extreme point of its normal downward stroke, and said second latch means reciprocation of a string of tubing comprising in combination with anchoring means flxedly installed in the well below the lower end of said tubing, a pump barrel inserted within the lower end of said tubing, first yieldable latch means normally locking said barrel with said tubing, a. tubular plunger having an upper portion fitting for travel within said barrel and a lower portion having an element of enlarged diameter fitting within said tubing, second yieldable latch means normally locking said plunger with said anchoring means, a standing valve carried by said plunger and a traveling valve carried by said barrel, whereby well fluid is admitted to said barrel through said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocation of said barrel with regard to said plunger, said rst latch means being releasable by the pressure thereagainst of said enlarged element of the stationary plunger occurring upon a lowering oi.' the tubing beyond the extreme point of its normal downward stroke, said second latch means being releasable by pressure thereagainst `oi' the lower end of the tubing occurring upon a further lowering of the tubing, and lifting means outwardly carried at the top of said barrel, whereby said barrel and plunger can be lifted within said tubing upon release from said ilrst and second latch means.

4. A well pump adapted to be actuated by the reciprocation of a string of tubing having pump seating means secured near the lower end thereof, comprising in combination with anchoring means ilxedly installed in the well below the lower end of said tubing, a pump barrel seated within the lower end of said tubing on said pump seating t means whereby the lower end of said tubing is closed in a fluid-tight manner, first yieldable latch means normally locking said barrel with said tubing, said latch means being adapted to latch below said seating means, a tubular plunger having an upper portion tting for travel within said barrel and a lower portion having an element of enlarged diameter fitting within said tubing, second yieldable latch means normally locking said plunger with said anchoring means, a standing valve carried by said plunger and a traveling valve carried by said barrel, whereby well fluid is admitted to vsaid barrel tnrough said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocation of said barrel with regard to said plunger, said rst latch means being releasable by the pressure thereagainst of said enlarged element of the stationary plunger` occurring upon a lowering of the tubing beyond the extreme point of its normal downward stroke, said second latch means being releasable by pressure thereagainst of the lower end of the tubing occurring upon a further lowering of the tubing, and a lifting pin outwardly carried at the top of said barrel, whereby said barrel and plunger and plunger can be lifted within said tubing upon release from said first and second latch means.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said rst yieldable latch means comprises a tubular member carried coaxially on said pump, one end of said tubular member being in spaced relationship with said pump, a flange on the outer surface of said end of the tubular member, a plurality of longitudinal slots in said tubular member extending from said flanged end for a distance at least one-half the length of the tubular member, said slots dividing said tubular member into a 8 plurality of ilexible segments adapted to latch below the pump seating means secured to the tubing near the lower end thereof.

6. In a well pumping apparatus adapted to be p, positioned within a well casing, a string of tubing extending into the well casing said tubing being adapted for reciprocation from the surface, a swaged tubular member o f small diameter affixed to the lower end of said tubing, a pump barrel of a size to be passed through said tubing, ilrst yieldable latch means carried by said barrel adapted to engage the swaged tubular Y member and to anchor and seat said barrel therein, a tubular plunger slidably mounted within said barrel, latch engaging means carried by said plunger, a standing valve carried by said plunger and a traveling valve carried by said barrel, whereby well fluid is admitted to said barrel through said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocation of the barrel with regard to said plunger, anchoring means ilxedly installed at a predetermined level within said well casing below the lower end of said tubing, second 'latch means ailixed to said anchoring means adapted to cooperate with said latch engaging means on said plunger, pin means carried on the top of the pump barrel for lifting the pump barrel and plunger from said tubing, rst latch disengaging means carried on the lower portion of said plunger, second latch disengaging means carried at the lower end of said tubing, said ilrst and second latch disengaging means adapted to disengage said first and second latch meansl whereby said pump barrel and plunger are unseated and may be lifted from the tubing.

7. In a well pumping apparatus adapted to be positioned within a well casing, a string of tubing extending into the well casing said tubing being adapted for reciprocation from the surface, a swaged tubular member of smaller diameter aiixed to the lower end of said tubing, a pump barrel of a size to be passed through said tubing, packer elements carried by said barrel adapted to engage the swaged tubular member and to anchor and seat said barrel therein, a tubular plunger slidably mounted within said barrel, latch engaging grooves formed on the lower end of said plunger, a standing valve carried by said plunger and a traveling valve carried by' said barrel, whereby well uid is admitted to. said barrel through said tubular plunger and is forced up the tubing by the reciprocation of the barrel with regard to said plunger, anchoring means xedly installed at a predetermined level within said well casing below the lower end of said tubing, latching prongs ailixed to said anchoring means adapted to cooperate with said latch engaging grooves on said plunger, pin means carried on the top of the pump barrel for lifting the pump barrel and plunger from said tubing, a disengaging collar carried on the lower portion of said plunger, an annular latch disengaging wedge carried at the lower end of said tubing, said disengaging collar and wedge adapted to disengage said packer elements and latching prongs whereby said pump barrel and plunger are unseated and may be lifted from the tubing o by means of a wire line.

PAUL E. LEHR.

No references cited. 

